# Accident 19980930027319A: Robsin R22BETA, Salinas, CA, September 30, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 30, 1998, 11:30 local time - Place: Salinas, CA - Airport: Salinas Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.7590° N, 121.6504° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7590&lon=-121.6504&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8340D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8340D-2002-10-16) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-360-A1D (registry code 41504, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-360-a1d) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBSIN R22BETA - Reported engine: LYC O360A1D - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,600 total, 26 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA311](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA311) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980930027319A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. HELICOPTER AUTOROTATED AND ROLLED OVER AFTER LANDING.(-23)NO NARRATIVE GIVEN ON FORM. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1998, AT 1130 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME A ROBINSON R22B, N8340D, CRASHED IN A PRACTICE AREA NORTH OF SALINAS, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, AND THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE SALINAS AIRPORT AT 1030 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS FROM APPROXIMATELY 800 FET AGL. HE STATED THAT HE ENTERED THE AUTOROTATION BY CUTTING THE THROTTLE AND LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE. HE THEN TURNED 180 DEGREES TO POSITION THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE WIND. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE NOTICED THE ROTOR RPM RISING RAPIDLY SO HE RAISED THE COLLECTIVE AND APPLIED AFT CYCLIC TO SLOW THE AIRSPEED TO 65 KNOTS. APPROXIMATELY 200 TO 300 FEET AGL, HE INITIATED A GO-AROUND TO ABORT THE AUTOROTATION. HE REPORTED THAT HE DIDN'T GET ANY RESPONSE FROM RAISING THE COLLECTIVE AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND RAPIDLY. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND AND ROLLED OVER. (FROM .4) ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1998, AT 1130 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINS ON R22B, N8340D, CRASHED IN A PRACTICE AREA NORTH OF SALINAS, CA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, AND THE PRIVATE AIRPLANE RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE SALINAS AIRPORT AT 1030, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE CHIEF PILOT OF THE FLIGHT SCHOOL REPORTED THAT THE STUDENT HELICOPTER PILOT WAS BRIEFED FOR HIS FIRST NONSUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT. THE PILOT WAS TOLD TO PRACTICE TRAFFIC PATTERNS, AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO ONLY FLY NORMAL APPROACHES AND TAKEOFFS, WITH NO EMERGENCY MANEUVERS. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WORKED ON NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERNS, THEN DECIDED TO PRACTICE AUTOROTATIONS TO A GO-AROUND. HE ENTERED THE AUTOROTATION FROM APPROX. 800 FEET AGL AND 70 KNOTS OF AIRSPEED. HE STATED THAT HE INITIATED THE AUTOROTATION BY CUTTING THE THROTTLE AND LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE. HE THEN TURNED 180 DEGREES TO POSITION THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE WIND. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE NOTICED THE ROTOR RPM RISING RAPIDLY SO HE RAISED THE COLLECTIVE AND APPLIED AFT CYCLIC TO SLOW THE AIRSPEED TO 65 KNOTS. APPROX. 200 TO 300 FEET AGL, HE INITIATED A GO-AROUND TO ABORT THE AUTOROTATION. THE PILO T STATED THAT HE RAISED THE COLLECTIVE TO ADD POWER BUT DIDN'T GET THE RESPONSE HE WAS LOOKING FOR. HE STATED THAT AT THAT POINT HE WAS "NOT SURE WHAT WAS GOING WRONG BUT FELT [HE] WAS LOSING CONTROL AND GOING DOWN VERY FAST." HE FURTHER STATED THAT "ALL INPUTS OF RAISING THE COLLECTIVE WEREN'T SLOWING [HIM] DOWN AT ALL." THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ONCE HE REALIZED HE WAS ABOUT TO HIT THE GROUND, HE PULLED UP ON THE COLLECTIVE AND APPLIED FULL AFT CYCLIC. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND AND ROLLED OVER. THE CHIEF PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN THE PILOT CALLED HIM FOR HELP AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT STATED, "I DID WHAT YOU TOLD ME NOT TO DO." THE STUDENT PILOT HAD BEEN GIVEN A SOLO ENDORSEMENT ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1998. (-23) NO NARRATIVE. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX98LA311](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA311), Sep 30, 1998: Robinson R22B (N8340D), Salinas, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: The failure of the student pilot to maintain control of the aircraft while practicing autorotations. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.